America, and the world, are in the midst of one of the most profound technological revolutions in human history, with artificial intelligence poised to transform nearly every aspect of how we live and work.
asserted
we → poise → aspect
They are the factories of the AI age, vast industrial warehouses, packed with powerful computer chips consuming enormous amounts of electricity.
asserted
They → pack → electricity
With more than 3,000 of them across the country, and another 1,500 proposed, data centers are now one of the top issues in the midterm elections.
asserted
centers → propose → elections
So we went to Texas, where everything is bigger, including the development of data centers, to understand the backlash happening nationwide.
asserted
everything → go → backlash
All this agricultural land will look like what?
asserted
land → look → what
This is just one little bit, as far as you can see.
asserted
you → see → ?
Jazmin Villegas lives on this quiet farm just outside Dallas, Texas.
asserted
Villegas → live → Dallas
When she learned that a data center campus almost three times the size of this one a few miles away would be built next door, this mother of five and Marine veteran felt called back to duty.
asserted
mother → learn → duty
How did you become the go-to person at the center of this fight against the data centers?
asserted
you → become → centers
Ma'am, just because I'm not in uniform doesn't mean that my service to this country has ended.
asserted
service → mean → country
I stand strongly behind my oath that I took when I enlisted to, you know, protect and defend this Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
asserted
you → stand → enemies
And you believe the data centers are an enemy?
asserted
centers → believe → ?
But how do I know that these chemicals or this pollution, water, air, noise, isn't going to affect my community, isn't going to affect me?
asserted
chemicals → know → me
In town halls and on social media, data centers have become vessels for other worries and fears: of rising prices, the power of the tech elite, congestion and crowding, and a dawning AI era that threatens livelihoods and futures.
asserted
that → become → livelihoods
Resident at VA town hall: We are struggling to pay our bills.
asserted
We → struggle → bills
In Loudoun County, Virginia, which has the world's highest concentration of data centers, electricity bills have surged in the last year, at least in part because of growing power demand.
asserted
bills → have → demand
We live in the desert.
asserted
We → live → desert
We can't waste water.
asserted
We → waste → water
They will waste water.
asserted
They → waste → water
In Chandler, Arizona, residents worry about water being used to cool data centers when the state already has a shrinking supply.
asserted
state → worry → supply
And in Red Oak, Texas, where Villegas lives, construction workers' cars clog the roads for miles before dawn.
asserted
cars → live → dawn
And they accuse the city council of operating in secrecy.
asserted
they → accuse → secrecy
And now you've been caught, you've been caught making decisions without transparency.
asserted
you → catch → transparency
And the city council just went ahead and approved it.
asserted
council → go → it
How did that make you feel?
asserted
you → make → ?
But instead of feeling defeated, it's, like, "Oh.
asserted
it → feel → ?
Challenge accepted."
asserted
Challenge → accept → ?
And I think they have a right to be concerned because they don't know what's going to happen.
asserted
what → think → right
When tech companies want to build in Texas, they call Weber for advice.
asserted
they → want → advice
I tell them, "You need to pay your taxes, and hire people, and be power-flexible, water-positive, and carbon-negative."
asserted
You → tell → people
You have
asserted
You → have → ?
Webber says data centers have been around for decades, but the speed of the construction and the size of those built for AI are unprecedented.
asserted
speed → say → AI
In the old days, and by old days I mean, like, two years ago, a large data center might have been five megawatts.
uncertain
center → mean → like
You look at the numbers.
asserted
You → look → numbers
They're mind-boggling.
asserted
They → boggle → ?
Meta, Amazon, Google, Microsoft expected to spend 1.5 trillion building data centers through next year.
asserted
Meta → expect → year
Why do we need so many?
asserted
we → need → many
I talk to a lot of smart people, and some say this will satiate.
asserted
this → talk → people
But then there are other smart people who say the demand for intelligence will never be sated.
asserted
demand → be → intelligence
So we will always want more data centers.
asserted
we → want → centers
…and 80 more, not listed.
The Aporia
